Bed and Breakfast [Bloodkin 1] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) by Scarlet Hyacinth Read Free Book Online

disappointed when the human had not shown up, but it truly hadn’t surprised him. He even knew where Marlais had gone, of course. He’d have chased him down into the harbor, but he disliked sunlight, more so since he’d spent quite a long time without blood now. His kind usually built up resistance to the sun through a heavier consumption of blood. Vane couldn’t wait to test it with his new companion.
    Vane’s fangs emerged at the thought of drinking Marlais’s blood, and he cursed. His nature seemed to be emerging more and more with each second he spent in the human’s presence. The young man had been right about this being a bad idea, but Vane couldn’t make himself let go now. It felt too right. Having Marlais—or rather, Moss—by his side had quickly become essential.
    Even their small conversation in the carriage convinced Vane of this. Articulate, educated, and intelligent, Moss showed genuine interest in the bloodkin and arousal at Vane’s touch. He was perfect, too perfect.
    He was also alone now, alone with Pena. A growl emerged in Vane’s throat at the thought of anyone else but him seeing Moss naked. He’d done it out of habit, since it never bothered him before when servants took care of his “bed and breakfasts.” But Moss couldn’t be compared to those past whores. Vane should never have told Pena to help him with settling in, or at least, he should’ve kept watch over them.
    In a blur of motion, Vane left his study and rushed out. The room he’d assigned for Moss held a luxurious adjoining bathroom and he crossed the distance from his study there in a few seconds.
    Even before entering the room, he heard a conversation taking place. He stopped, deciding to see if Moss intended to make a move on Pena. “Thank you for all your help,” Moss said. “Sorry about the clothes.”
    “You don’t need to apologize, my lord,” Pena replied. “It’s my job.”
    “Yes, but…I’m really confused about this. So I hoped maybe you could help out, tell me how I should act.”
    Vane didn’t want Moss to need anyone else but him. Shocked at his own thoughts, he began to back off, only to realize he couldn’t make himself leave. First, he had to mark Moss as his.
    Without allowing himself a moment to change his mind, Vane sauntered inside the room. The bathroom door was cracked open and Vane noticed Moss half-naked with Pena. Jealousy swelled hot inside Vane, and his vision turned dark and red. He growled low in his throat. How dare she touch what belonged to him?
    He didn’t know what prevented him from just shooting into the bathroom and pulling Moss away from Pena, perhaps the very realization that the first time in centuries, he’d fallen prey to his instincts. Up until that moment, he hadn’t truly acknowledged the extent of his peculiar attachment to Moss. Moss had been in his house for maybe an hour total, and Vane was already going berserk. He couldn’t understand it.
    Someone else might have rushed out to lick his wounds in private or surrendered to the emotions. Vane did neither. Instead, he filtered everything through the reason that governed his every moment. In a flash, he had his control back. Just in time, too, because Pena had heard the noise. For a bunch of household spirits, brownies really did have acute senses.
    Pena slipped out of the bathroom, with Moss behind her. Both gaped when they saw him. “My lord?” Moss asked hesitantly. “I thought I was supposed to join you in the study?”
    “I changed my mind.” He turned to a wide-eyed Pena. “You’re dismissed, Pena. Thank you.”
    The maid nodded, curtsied, and hastened out. Like all the people here, she was used to living in a bloodkin’s house. Her kind generally accepted all the peculiarities of their current master, and neither Pena nor the rest of her kind had ever shown any surprise or distress regarding Vane’s habits. Besides, Kier did a good job of keeping the servants in line and pacifying them with honey